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Detroit special needs student mistakenly sent to wrong school

Posted: 8:09 PM, Sep 07, 2018

Updated:2018-09-09 16:10:31Z

By:
Ali Hoxie

DETROIT — Sherita Mason thought her special needs daughter had been attending Diann Banks-Williamson Education Center in east Detroit, but for the last three days, the school bus has taken her daughter Jerry L White Center in Detroit’s west side.

"My daughter, she cannot talk, she cannot communicate where she’s been,” said Mason.

It was a few weeks ago that Mason says she toured Dian Banks-Williamson Center, meeting with the teachers are principal. She liked what she saw and says she signed Dezeraye up, even sending her daughter off to her first day of school in a Diann Banks-Williamson Education Center polo.

On Thursday, three days after her daughters first day of school, she found out some shocking news. Her daughter was attending a different school than what she thought.

“I called Diann Banks trying to change my daughters address for her drop off and they told me that she wasn’t attending the school,” said Mason.

The school Dezeraye had been attending Jerry L. White Center, 17 miles away from Diann Banks-Williamson Center and a good 20-minute drive away from each other.

Both schools are under the Detroit Public School District system.

7 Action News reached out to DPS, and they did not provide a statement, but told us over the phone they were under the impression Mason had signed Dezeraye up to Jerry L. White Center in person, signing paperwork at the school.